After first-round losses by Genie Bouchard and Francoise Abanda, 17-year-old Bianca Andreescu represented Canada’s final hope in singles at the Rogers Cup.

On Tuesday night, Andreescu, the youngest player in the main draw, lost 6-4, 6-1 to Timea Babos of Hungary, ranked No. 55 in the world.

“Every match I play I try to learn from it and I try to improve on certain things and I think (after) this match, I have to improve my serve more,” Andreescu said following her first appearance in the Rogers Cup. “I’m probably going to go (Wednesday) and hit many buckets of serves.

“This gives me a lot of experience which is what I need right now, playing more matches on the WTA Tour, and just being part of the whole atmosphere. The crowd was amazing, so I am very thankful for that.”

Down 5-3 in the first set, Andreescu got a prolonged ovation after winning a long rally with a tough shot.

“I love to try to put on a show for the crowd,” Andreescu said. “That was a crazy point, I don’t even know how I got that, but I fought to the end and I got it.”

There’s the growing sense that Andreescu has the ability, along with Abanda, to become the next face of women’s tennis in Canada. Andreescu has moved up to No. 144 in the world rankings, this after advancing to the quarterfinals at the Citi Open last week in Washington, D.C.

Genie Bouchard, whose grasp on the title of the top-ranked female in Canada is getting more loose, was asked about Andreescu on Tuesday.

“I think she is a good player,” Bouchard said. “I practised with her a little bit last week in D.C. and she had a good run. So someone else can carry the burden of Canada.”

There was a bit of tongue-in-cheek on Bouchard’s part with the mention of the word burden.

Andreescu’s work at the Aviva Centre isn’t done yet. On Wednesday, she and Carson Branstine, who started representing Canada this year after playing for the United States, will go up against Kristina Mladenovic and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in doubles play.

“Playing doubles really helps with my transition game, coming to the net, which I am trying to do more now with return game and serve game,” Andreescu said. “I think (she and Branstein) really make a good team on and off the court, we get each other.”

RYBARIKOVA ROARING

Magdalena Rybarikova isn’t playing on her favourite surface in Toronto, but she is keeping her fingers crossed her success at Wimbledon carries over.

Rybarikova advanced to the semifinals on the grass courts at Wimbledon, eventually losing against Garbine Muguruza.

On the hard court at the Rogers Cup, Rybarikova, ranked No. 33 in the world, beat No. 31 Mirjana Lucic-Baroni of Croatia 7-5, 6-0 on Tuesday to advance to the second round.

“It was my best tournament ever and getting to the semifinal was like a dream,” said Rybarikova, a native of Slovakia. “I love to play on grass, so I was happy about that. For my confidence it was a great boost, but this is a different tournament, different surface. My goal still is to always be healthy.”

Rybarikova returned to the tour this past February after missing seven months because of wrist and knee surgeries.

Her next opponent at the Aviva Centre will be No. 2-ranked Simona Halep of Romania, the Rogers Cup defending champion. Rybarikova and Halep have met three times in the past, but not since 2014. Rybarikova twice has beaten Halep.

“I’m going to be the underdog,” Rybarikova said. “It’s going to be very difficult and I hope it’s a good match for the crowd.”

Rybarikova played Lucic-Baroni after American Madison Keys, who has been battling a wrist issue, withdrew from the tournament. Keys lost in the 2016 Rogers Cup final in Montreal to Halep.

BRIEFLY

Oceane Dodin of France, who advanced to the semifinals of the Citi Open, retired from her first-round match against Ashleigh Barty of Australia because of injury … During her 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory against Julia Goerges of Germany, Catherine Bellis of the United States managed to overcome six double faults … Abanda had hoped to build off some success earlier this summer, but it didn’t come together for the Montreal native, who lost 6-4, 6-4, to Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic. The start of the match was delayed until after 11 p.m. on Monday night and did not conclude until the wee hours of Tuesday morning. The 20-year-old Abanda, ranked No. 132 in the world and playing in the Rogers Cup for the fourth time, won her first-round matches at the Wimbledon and the French Open this season … The Canadian pair of Charlotte Robillard-Millette (Montreal) and Carol Zhao (Richmond Hill, Ont.) lost 6-1, 6-4 in doubles against the U.S. tandem of Lauren Davis and Alison Riske … Edmonton Oilers superstar and Newmarket native Connor McDavid was part of the crowd taking in the night matches.

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